Piano-truck.



Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

3 SHEET$-SHEET I.

PIANO TRUCK.

H. C- Z. SAWTELL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29' l9l3.

NKIL wi/f mm H. C. Z. SAWTELL.

PIANO TRUCK.

APPLICATION Hugo Nov. 29. 1913.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H. C. Z. SAWTELL.

PIANO TRUCK. 'APPLICATION men nov. 29. m3;

1,21 9,492. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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1 psi s PIANO-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed November 29, 1918. Serial No. 803,776.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IANNIBAL C. Z. Saw- TELL, a citizen of the United States, residing atParsons, in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to piano trucks, and has for an object to facilitate transportation of pianos or analogous cumbersome articles,

another object of the invention is to equip the device with suitable mechanism for lowering the piano-engaging end of the truck in close proximity to the floor, or piano supporting base, to facilitate mounting the piano thereon, or removing the piano therefrom.

Still another object is to use suitable rollers for expediting movement of the truck, the rollers being disengageable from the road of travel, at the option of the operator, thereby preventing movement of the truck when mounting a piano thereon, or removing the same therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide an operating bail or handle by which the trucks are actuated and which control the movement of the rollers, into or out of engagement, with the road of travel.

In use of this device it will be appreciated that two of these trucks, of identical configuration are used, the trucks being associated with the opposite ends of the piano, thereby bodily elevating the piano from the floor, or supporting base, during transportation.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my inven tion will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the improved hinged clamping means in connection with a piano frame, indicated by the dotted lines, the device being shown in an operative position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same shown as associated with a piano, the latter being shown in dotted lines, the truck frame being shown in an inoperative position.

Fig. 4t 1s a side elevation of the device looking at the side opposite from that of Fig. 2

and showing the improved cable means for holding the piano in engagement with the truck frame.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the improved device, and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6 G of Fig. 4 and showing the looking lever for engaging the roller frame with the operating element.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred form of this invention, a truck frame 7 is provided comprising a metallic structure, consisting of end members or plates 8 and 9, which have lips 10 struck therefrom to receive the opposite ends of a bridging portion 11. interposed between the plates 8 and 9 and secured thereto in any suitable manner is a vertically arranged bar 12 one of the longitudinal edges thereof being engaged with the upper face of the plate 11, said bar providing an abutment with which the terminal of the piano is engaged. The bridging plate 11 supports the bottom of the piano thereby precluding possibility of displacing the piano during movement, since the bars 11 and 12 will snugly engage the piano as illustrated to advantage in Figs 9. and 8. A piano clamping member l-ft is hingedly carried by the plate 9, and com prises a plate having one of its lateral 1nargins turned at right angles to the body to provide a supporting flange 17 for the bottom of the piano, the latter being provided with an opening 17 therein through which the roller of the piano is adapted to be passed. Spaced apart fingers 15 are formed by reducing a portion of the opposite lateral,

margin of the plate 14, the latter provided with threaded apertures in which are engaged set screws 16, the latter adapted for clamping engagement with the sill of the piano. By hingedly engaging the plate or clamp member 14 with the member 9, it is seen that the same may be swung into engagement beneath the piano for supporting the latter, and may be readily disengaged therefrom when it is desired to remove the piano from the truck.

An operating bail or handle 18 is pivotally mounted upon the plates 8 and 9, providing means by which the truck may be actuated at the option of the user, the bail likewise being utilized for operating the truck into or out of engagement with the floor or supporting base in a manner hereinafter described.

A roller frame 19 is mounted between the plates 8 and 9, and comprises a metallic strap, the opposite ends 20 of which are bent laterally at right angles to the body, in one direction, and reversely folded on said right angled portion, in. the opposite direction, so as to extend appreciably beyond the body and into engagement with the bail 18. By reversely folding the ends 20 upon themselves, in the manner set forth above, bear- ,ings21 are provided which receive the opposite ends of a shaft Said ends 20 are pivotally engaged with the bail 18, being carried by the pivot pins thereof, so as to be simultaneously operated with the movement of the latter or so that the bail may be independently operated, as will be more fully described hereinafter. Mounted upon one of the faces of the body of the frame 19 is a spacer 27 which engages one end of each of apair of rollers 28, the latter being rotatably' mounted upon the shaft 22. As illustrated to advantage in Fig. 1 the rollers 28 are mounted between the spacer 27 and the reversely folded ends 20 of the frame 19, so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the rollers on said shaft 22, but permitting free rotation of the rollers by frictional contact with the road of travel.

A rod 23 extends transversely of the bail 18 and is connected to the latter adjacent its free terminals. A trigger element 24 is mounted upon said rod 23, approximately midway the ends of the latter, a portion 25 thereof being of an arcuate configuration for engagement with the spacer 27 in order to connect the bail 18 and the roller frame 19 for contemporaneously operating said members when pressure is exerted upon the bail 1.8. A terminal of the trigger 24L is turned in angled relation to the body, to provide a supporting foot 26, for preventing contact of the bail 18 with the floor.

A loop strap 29 is fixedly engaged with the bar 12, having a locking lever 30 in pivotal engagement therewith, the lower end of said lever being turned at right angles to the body as indicated at 31, and provided on its free terminal with a locking finger 32. The finger 32 is adapted for engagement, at times, with the shaft 22 so as to prevent upward movement of the shaft when pressure is exerted upon the bail 18. The locking lever 30 contacts with an abutment 33, which is carried by the bar 11 and which extends subjacent the loop strap 29 and shaft 22,

when it is in proper position to secure the shaft so that the bail may be raised independently. If desired, the free end of the abutment may be arcuate to conform to the shape of the shaft 22, as may be seen to advantage in Fig. 3.

To hold a piano on the truck a suitable means is provided, in the present instance comprising a looped eye 35 which is carried by one end of the bar 12, having mounted therein a ring 36, the latter being engaged with one end of a securing strap 37. The strap 37 extends from one truck to the other so as to embrace the piano. It is of course understood that one ofthe straps 37 will extend in front of the piano and the other in the rear thereof, so as to prevent displace extend through the openings 17, after which the set screws 16 are snugly engaged with the sill of the piano as previously set forth. The straps 37 are then secured about the piano in a manner hereinbefore described. While mounting the piano on the trucks, it is preferable that the rollers be disengaged from the floor. Consequently the trigger means 24 has been provided, whereby when said means is connected to the roller frame 19, the latter will be moved upwardly in a vertical arc, by merely exertim an upward pressure upon the bail 18. As soon, however, as the piano has been properly adjusted on the trucks, the rollers are again engaged with the floor, by exerting pressure on the operating bail 18 in a counter-direction. Then to prevent upward movement of the roller frame 19 during transportation of the piano, the lever 30, heretofore described, has been provided, which will lock the roller frame in a lowered position, so as to prevent casual displacement of the rollers from the road of travel, at the same time permitting the bail 18 to be placed in an advantageous position, where it can be readily grasped by the hand or hands of the persons transporting the piano. lVhen in this latter position it is of course understood that the trigger means 2 1 will be disengaged from the roller frame, this being readily done by merely exerting pressure upon the bail in an upward direction.

From the above it is obvious that the roller frame 19 will be automatically operated by the movement of the bail 18, which operation contemporaneously operates the piano engaging portion of the truck, so as to either engage the latter with the floor or supporting base, or disengage the same therefrom consistent with the direction in which the bail is operated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described including a frame, means for moving said frame, and a clamp for securing a piano to said frame including a metallic plate hingedly connected to said frame for facilitating the engagement and removal of said piano with and from said frame, respec tively.

2. A device of the character described including a main frame, a supporting plate carried by said frame, a roller frame carried in said main frame, a bail for actuating said main frame, means for actuatably connecting said roller frame with said bail and means for limiting the movement of said roller frame in said main frame;

3. A piano truck including a main frame, a supporting plate carried by said frame, a roller frame comprising a metallic strap having its ends bent laterally thereto carried by said main frame, rollers mounted in spaced apart relation between the bent ends of said strap, an operating bail pivotally engaged with said main frame and being in pivotal engagement with said roller frame, means carried by said operating bail for detachably engaging said roller frame therewith, and a stop lever carried by said sup porting plate for limiting the movement of said roller frame.

4. A piano truck including a frame, a supporting plate carried by said frame, a clampv element hingedly connected to said frame for engaging a piano therewith, a roller frame carried by said frame, rollers revolubly mounted in said roller frame, a bail for operating said truck, said bail being associated with said roller frame for throwing the rollers into and out of engagement with the road of travel, means carried by said bail for holding said roller frame in en gagement therewith, at times, and means carried by said frame for retaining said rollers in engagement therewith, at times, for the purpose specified.

5. A piano truck including a frame, an operating handle pivoted to the frame, a roller frame pivotally associated with the handle, and means secured to the handle for attaching the roller frame thereto for contemporancous movement.

6. A piano truck including a frame, an operating bail pivoted thereto, a roller frame associated with the said frame, a shaft mounted between the sides of the roller Copies of this patent may be obtained for frame, rollers mounted on the shaft, means connected to the bail for imparting contemporaneous movement to the roller frame.

7. A piano truck including a frame, a bail pivoted to the frame, a roller frame pivotally mounted on the bail pivot pins, a bar extending transversely of the bail, a hook fixed thereto for engagement with the roller frame for moving the rollers out of engagement with the ground contemporaneously with an upward movement of the bail, and means connected to said hook for spacing the hail from the ground when in its lowermost position.

8. A piano truck including a supporting frame, a bail pivotally connected to said frame, a roller frame pivotally connected to the bail, the terminals of said roller frame being bent laterally at right angles and returned on themselves, a shaft journaled between said ends, a U-shaped spacing member secured intermediate the ends of the roller frame, and rollers carried by the shaft between said ends and the spacing members.

9. A piano truck including a frame, a transverse support, a- U-shaped bracket secured to said support, a bail pivoted to the frame, a. roller frame pivotally mounted on the bail, means associated with the bail for engaging the roller frame to contemporaneously move the same with the bail, means pivoted to said bracket for engagement with the roller shaft to prevent upward movement of the latter, at times, whereby the bail may be moved independently of the roller frame, and means secured to the support for limiting the movement of the said pivoted means.

10. A piano truck including a frame, a bail pivotally connected to the frame, a roller frame in pivotal connection with the first frame, rollers journaled in the roller frame, a U-shaped means between the rollers for holding them in spaced relation, and means carried by the bail for securing the roller frame thereto for contemporaneous movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANNIBAL 0. Z. SAWTELL.

Witnesses:

D. H. HoLooMB, R. S. ANTHONY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

